Modern devices often include many electronic components and parts. Some electronic components within these devices need to be tested prior to initial assembly or before integration into a final product to ensure that the electronics do not have manufacturing defects that may result in faulty operation of the finished product. Testing electronic components requires a connection to a power source. In some instances, a power source, such as a battery or a connection to a wall outlet, is not installed until late in the assembly or after the product is completed. Consequently, testing electronic components prior to integration into the finished product may require installation of temporary wiring to connect the electronic components to a power source, which can be cumbersome and costly.
In some situations, the added difficulty of testing the electronic components results in a manufacturer waiting to test the electronics in the device until completion of the finished product. However, if an electronic component is then found to be defective, repairing or replacing the defective component can be difficult, requiring added labor to disassemble the product or necessitating spoiling the entire finished product. Repairing or replacing defective electronic components after a product if finished or spoiling an entire finished product is costly and inefficient.
Typically, to test electronic components in a device during production, the device or the electronic components therein are temporarily connected to a power source by wires. The wired power source delivers power to the electronic devices, which can then be tested for functionality. However, temporarily wiring an unfinished device to test electronic components therein requires labor to connect and remove the temporary wiring, increasing the cost of producing the device.
Modern vehicles are typically manufactured on an assembly line. During assembly, numerous electronic components and parts, such as sensors, motors, lights, and controls, are installed throughout the vehicle. Many of these devices need to be tested to ensure proper operation prior to installation of the vehicle power source. One solution to testing electronic components in vehicles during assembly is to install temporary wiring and cabling to connect a source of electrical power to each electronic component within the vehicle. Again, however, the installation of temporary wiring and cabling is costly and labor intensive. Another solution is to delay testing the components until after the battery is installed in the vehicle. Some electronic components, however, may be difficult and expensive to replace if a defect is not detected until after the battery is installed.
Furthermore, the many electronic components in a vehicle require power to function during normal operation of the vehicle. Some of these electronic devices are located distant from the power source of the vehicle, which is typically the vehicle battery. Consequently, numerous power cables must extend from the battery to connect it to each of the electronic components in the vehicle. Additionally, various electronic components in the vehicle are located in parts of the vehicle that move in relation to the vehicle body. As a result, the cables and wires connecting these components to the battery are complex and susceptible to failure from repeated movement of the parts or being pinched between moving parts.
What is needed, therefore, are improvements in power delivery to electronic components during assembly and in power delivery to electronic components in vehicles to reduce difficulties from connecting the electronic components to a power source by cables.